[PATCH 4/5] md/md-llbitmap: add CleanUnwritten state for RAID-5 proactive parity building

From: Yu Kuai

Date: Sat Feb 14 2026 - 01:12:44 EST


Add new states to the llbitmap state machine to support proactive XOR
parity building for RAID-5 arrays. This allows users to pre-build parity
data for unwritten regions before any user data is written.

New states added:
- BitNeedSyncUnwritten: Transitional state when proactive sync is triggered
via sysfs on Unwritten regions.
- BitSyncingUnwritten: Proactive sync in progress for unwritten region.
- BitCleanUnwritten: XOR parity has been pre-built, but no user data
written yet. When user writes to this region, it transitions to BitDirty.

New actions added:
- BitmapActionProactiveSync: Trigger for proactive XOR parity building.
- BitmapActionClearUnwritten: Convert CleanUnwritten/NeedSyncUnwritten/
SyncingUnwritten states back to Unwritten before recovery starts.

State flows:
- Current (lazy): Unwritten -> (write) -> NeedSync -> (sync) -> Dirty -> Clean
- New (proactive): Unwritten -> (sysfs) -> NeedSyncUnwritten -> (sync) -> CleanUnwritten
- On write to CleanUnwritten: CleanUnwritten -> (write) -> Dirty -> Clean
- On disk replacement: CleanUnwritten regions are converted to Unwritten
before recovery starts, so recovery only rebuilds regions with user data

A new sysfs interface is added at /sys/block/mdX/md/llbitmap/proactive_sync
(write-only) to trigger proactive sync. This only works for RAID-456 arrays.

Signed-off-by: Yu Kuai <yukuai@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c | 140 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
drivers/md/md.c | 6 +-
2 files changed, 132 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c b/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c
index 5f9e7004e3e3..461050b2771b 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md-llbitmap.c
@@ -208,6 +208,20 @@ enum llbitmap_state {
BitNeedSync,
/* data is synchronizing */
BitSyncing,
+ /*
+ * Proactive sync requested for unwritten region (raid456 only).
+ * Triggered via sysfs when user wants to pre-build XOR parity
+ * for regions that have never been written.
+ */
+ BitNeedSyncUnwritten,
+ /* Proactive sync in progress for unwritten region */
+ BitSyncingUnwritten,
+ /*
+ * XOR parity has been pre-built for a region that has never had
+ * user data written. When user writes to this region, it transitions
+ * to BitDirty.
+ */
+ BitCleanUnwritten,
BitStateCount,
BitNone = 0xff,
};
@@ -232,6 +246,12 @@ enum llbitmap_action {
* BitNeedSync.
*/
BitmapActionStale,
+ /*
+ * Proactive sync trigger for raid456 - builds XOR parity for
+ * Unwritten regions without requiring user data write first.
+ */
+ BitmapActionProactiveSync,
+ BitmapActionClearUnwritten,
BitmapActionCount,
/* Init state is BitUnwritten */
BitmapActionInit,
@@ -304,6 +324,8 @@ static char state_machine[BitStateCount][BitmapActionCount] = {
[BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
[BitmapActionDiscard] = BitNone,
[BitmapActionStale] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNeedSyncUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitNone,
},
[BitClean] = {
[BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitDirty,
@@ -314,6 +336,8 @@ static char state_machine[BitStateCount][BitmapActionCount] = {
[BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
[BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
[BitmapActionStale] = BitNeedSync,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitNone,
},
[BitDirty] = {
[BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitNone,
@@ -324,6 +348,8 @@ static char state_machine[BitStateCount][BitmapActionCount] = {
[BitmapActionDaemon] = BitClean,
[BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
[BitmapActionStale] = BitNeedSync,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitNone,
},
[BitNeedSync] = {
[BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitNone,
@@ -334,6 +360,8 @@ static char state_machine[BitStateCount][BitmapActionCount] = {
[BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
[BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
[BitmapActionStale] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitNone,
},
[BitSyncing] = {
[BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitNone,
@@ -344,6 +372,44 @@ static char state_machine[BitStateCount][BitmapActionCount] = {
[BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
[BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
[BitmapActionStale] = BitNeedSync,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitNone,
+ },
+ [BitNeedSyncUnwritten] = {
+ [BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitNeedSync,
+ [BitmapActionStartsync] = BitSyncingUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionEndsync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionAbortsync] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionReload] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionStale] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitUnwritten,
+ },
+ [BitSyncingUnwritten] = {
+ [BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitSyncing,
+ [BitmapActionStartsync] = BitSyncingUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionEndsync] = BitCleanUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionAbortsync] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionReload] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionStale] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitUnwritten,
+ },
+ [BitCleanUnwritten] = {
+ [BitmapActionStartwrite] = BitDirty,
+ [BitmapActionStartsync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionEndsync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionAbortsync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionReload] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionDaemon] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionDiscard] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionStale] = BitUnwritten,
+ [BitmapActionProactiveSync] = BitNone,
+ [BitmapActionClearUnwritten] = BitUnwritten,
},
};

@@ -376,6 +442,7 @@ static void llbitmap_infect_dirty_bits(struct llbitmap *llbitmap,
pctl->state[pos] = level_456 ? BitNeedSync : BitDirty;
break;
case BitClean:
+ case BitCleanUnwritten:
pctl->state[pos] = BitDirty;
break;
}
@@ -383,7 +450,7 @@ static void llbitmap_infect_dirty_bits(struct llbitmap *llbitmap,
}

static void llbitmap_set_page_dirty(struct llbitmap *llbitmap, int idx,
- int offset)
+ int offset, bool infect)
{
struct llbitmap_page_ctl *pctl = llbitmap->pctl[idx];
unsigned int io_size = llbitmap->io_size;
@@ -398,7 +465,7 @@ static void llbitmap_set_page_dirty(struct llbitmap *llbitmap, int idx,
* resync all the dirty bits, hence skip infect new dirty bits to
* prevent resync unnecessary data.
*/
- if (llbitmap->mddev->degraded) {
+ if (llbitmap->mddev->degraded || !infect) {
set_bit(block, pctl->dirty);
return;
}
@@ -438,7 +505,9 @@ static void llbitmap_write(struct llbitmap *llbitmap, enum llbitmap_state state,

llbitmap->pctl[idx]->state[bit] = state;
if (state == BitDirty || state == BitNeedSync)
- llbitmap_set_page_dirty(llbitmap, idx, bit);
+ llbitmap_set_page_dirty(llbitmap, idx, bit, true);
+ else if (state == BitNeedSyncUnwritten)
+ llbitmap_set_page_dirty(llbitmap, idx, bit, false);
}

static struct page *llbitmap_read_page(struct llbitmap *llbitmap, int idx)
@@ -627,11 +696,10 @@ static enum llbitmap_state llbitmap_state_machine(struct llbitmap *llbitmap,
goto write_bitmap;
}

- if (c == BitNeedSync)
+ if (c == BitNeedSync || c == BitNeedSyncUnwritten)
need_resync = !mddev->degraded;

state = state_machine[c][action];
-
write_bitmap:
if (unlikely(mddev->degraded)) {
/* For degraded array, mark new data as need sync. */
@@ -658,8 +726,7 @@ static enum llbitmap_state llbitmap_state_machine(struct llbitmap *llbitmap,
}

llbitmap_write(llbitmap, state, start);
-
- if (state == BitNeedSync)
+ if (state == BitNeedSync || state == BitNeedSyncUnwritten)
need_resync = !mddev->degraded;
else if (state == BitDirty &&
!timer_pending(&llbitmap->pending_timer))
@@ -1229,7 +1296,7 @@ static bool llbitmap_blocks_synced(struct mddev *mddev, sector_t offset)
unsigned long p = offset >> llbitmap->chunkshift;
enum llbitmap_state c = llbitmap_read(llbitmap, p);

- return c == BitClean || c == BitDirty;
+ return c == BitClean || c == BitDirty || c == BitCleanUnwritten;
}

static sector_t llbitmap_skip_sync_blocks(struct mddev *mddev, sector_t offset)
@@ -1243,6 +1310,10 @@ static sector_t llbitmap_skip_sync_blocks(struct mddev *mddev, sector_t offset)
if (c == BitUnwritten)
return blocks;

+ /* Skip CleanUnwritten - no user data, will be reset after recovery */
+ if (c == BitCleanUnwritten)
+ return blocks;
+
/* For degraded array, don't skip */
if (mddev->degraded)
return 0;
@@ -1261,14 +1332,25 @@ static bool llbitmap_start_sync(struct mddev *mddev, sector_t offset,
{
struct llbitmap *llbitmap = mddev->bitmap;
unsigned long p = offset >> llbitmap->chunkshift;
+ enum llbitmap_state state;
+
+ /*
+ * Before recovery starts, convert CleanUnwritten to Unwritten.
+ * This ensures the new disk won't have stale parity data.
+ */
+ if (offset == 0 && test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RECOVER, &mddev->recovery) &&
+ !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_LAZY_RECOVER, &mddev->recovery))
+ llbitmap_state_machine(llbitmap, 0, llbitmap->chunks - 1,
+ BitmapActionClearUnwritten);
+

/*
* Handle one bit at a time, this is much simpler. And it doesn't matter
* if md_do_sync() loop more times.
*/
*blocks = llbitmap->chunksize - (offset & (llbitmap->chunksize - 1));
- return llbitmap_state_machine(llbitmap, p, p,
- BitmapActionStartsync) == BitSyncing;
+ state = llbitmap_state_machine(llbitmap, p, p, BitmapActionStartsync);
+ return state == BitSyncing || state == BitSyncingUnwritten;
}

/* Something is wrong, sync_thread stop at @offset */
@@ -1474,9 +1556,15 @@ static ssize_t bits_show(struct mddev *mddev, char *page)
}

mutex_unlock(&mddev->bitmap_info.mutex);
- return sprintf(page, "unwritten %d\nclean %d\ndirty %d\nneed sync %d\nsyncing %d\n",
+ return sprintf(page,
+ "unwritten %d\nclean %d\ndirty %d\n"
+ "need sync %d\nsyncing %d\n"
+ "need sync unwritten %d\nsyncing unwritten %d\n"
+ "clean unwritten %d\n",
bits[BitUnwritten], bits[BitClean], bits[BitDirty],
- bits[BitNeedSync], bits[BitSyncing]);
+ bits[BitNeedSync], bits[BitSyncing],
+ bits[BitNeedSyncUnwritten], bits[BitSyncingUnwritten],
+ bits[BitCleanUnwritten]);
}

static struct md_sysfs_entry llbitmap_bits = __ATTR_RO(bits);
@@ -1549,11 +1637,39 @@ barrier_idle_store(struct mddev *mddev, const char *buf, size_t len)

static struct md_sysfs_entry llbitmap_barrier_idle = __ATTR_RW(barrier_idle);

+static ssize_t
+proactive_sync_store(struct mddev *mddev, const char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+ struct llbitmap *llbitmap;
+
+ /* Only for RAID-456 */
+ if (!raid_is_456(mddev))
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ mutex_lock(&mddev->bitmap_info.mutex);
+ llbitmap = mddev->bitmap;
+ if (!llbitmap || !llbitmap->pctl) {
+ mutex_unlock(&mddev->bitmap_info.mutex);
+ return -ENODEV;
+ }
+
+ /* Trigger proactive sync on all Unwritten regions */
+ llbitmap_state_machine(llbitmap, 0, llbitmap->chunks - 1,
+ BitmapActionProactiveSync);
+
+ mutex_unlock(&mddev->bitmap_info.mutex);
+ return len;
+}
+
+static struct md_sysfs_entry llbitmap_proactive_sync =
+ __ATTR(proactive_sync, 0200, NULL, proactive_sync_store);
+
static struct attribute *md_llbitmap_attrs[] = {
&llbitmap_bits.attr,
&llbitmap_metadata.attr,
&llbitmap_daemon_sleep.attr,
&llbitmap_barrier_idle.attr,
+ &llbitmap_proactive_sync.attr,
NULL
};

diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index d2607ed5c2e9..270802b8a4fc 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -9870,8 +9870,10 @@ void md_do_sync(struct md_thread *thread)
* Give other IO more of a chance.
* The faster the devices, the less we wait.
*/
- wait_event(mddev->recovery_wait,
- !atomic_read(&mddev->recovery_active));
+ wait_event_timeout(
+ mddev->recovery_wait,
+ !atomic_read(&mddev->recovery_active),
+ HZ);
}
}
}
--
2.51.0